It seems as if Fadwa Saad did not even read Dan and Emmanel’s letter before writing in his response. He asks us what we expect an “oppressed” people to act like. It sounds as if he is justifying suicide bombers murdering teenagers in dance clubs and schoolchildren being blown up on buses. I ask Fadwa, what do you expect them to do?
The original article specifically raised the issue of people in desperate situations, by highlighting Ghandi and Martin Luther King as admirable men leading their people out of desperation via peaceful means. Why does Fadwa ignore this point in supporting a war on Israeli women and children?
He also claims that the root of the hateful education emerges from the “occupation.” Again, Dan and Emmanel addressed this issue by stating that Arafat had an opportunity to end the “occupation” by accepting Clinton’s proposal, but instead rebuffed the offer, abruptly ended negotiations, and launched the intifada. Was peace really a goal for Arafat?
The burden to end this hateful education falls squarely on the Palestinians themselves. The non-stop excuses and blaming Israel illustrates a lack of responsibility for one’s own actions. The first step to peace is teaching children that it is possible. Israel has already done that. Now it’s time for the Palestinians to do the same.
Mark Wigler CAS ’04 (917) 842-8302